I Wanted It All, But HE Got It All
by SerenityJ
Summary: Complete! read a/n for deets. Troy and Chad are celebrating graduation from college when Sharpay arrives in hysterics. AU in that I've decided to ignore HSM3 for this one. C&C welcome! Troy/Sharpay, Ryan/Chad. Don't like, don't read.
1. New Tricks

**Author's Note: **This is what happens when I go into HSM withdrawal. I can't even _tell _you how much I can't wait two months for the insanity that is HSM3 to hit theatres.

The bells dangling from the door jingled as Troy and Chad entered Big Red's. It was the diner they had frequented in high school after victories, and they were here again to celebrate an achievement of a different sort: college graduation.

The place was sparsely packed. There were a few teenagers in a booth by the corner, and a businessman was being served a piece of pie at the counter. The boys took up seats in their usual booth close to the digital jukebox. A young waitress came to take their order. They were then left in solitude.

"This feels weird," Troy said.

"Huh?"

"Graduation. Being part of the world."

"Hey, you're not done with school just yet, my friend. You still have grad school. In New York! How does it get better than that? Aside from the school part, I mean."

"Aside from the part where you're going to grad school in _California_," Troy teased.

"True. But hey, we can't be in high school mode forever."

Troy gave him a look.

"You know what I mean," Chad added.

"Yeah, we're not in high school anymore…" Troy allowed himself a moment of nostalgia, but quickly shook it off. His friends had gone their own ways, occasionally dropping him a line or hanging out with him on vacations. He knew there wouldn't be vacation for some of them now—not like in college, anyways.

Just then, the older waitress brought their food.

"Troy Bolton! And Chad Danforth! How lovely to see you both!"

"Good to see you too, Mary," Troy replied.

"Troy, honey, you haven't been here in so long!" She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I'm so sorry about you and Gabriella. Such a nice girl." She tutted as she walked away.

Troy looked at his plate for a minute, then up at Chad.

"I wish people would get over that. We only went out in high school. I had girlfriends in college, too!"

"Not your fault, dude," Chad smiled. "Just ignore them."

Troy cracked a grin.

"You're right," he said.

"Per usual," Chad said as they dug in.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Troy was half done with his burger and fries when a loud CLANG! from the door chimes startled him. The door had been forcibly slammed open. The culprit stomped to the counter in a flurry of pink and silver and sat down abruptly in the center seat.

"Chocolate milkshake," the tall blonde choked out to the woman behind the counter.

"Anything else, honey?...Are you okay?" The woman saw that the girl had been crying. Mascara was streaked down her face.

"French fries. And I'm fine. I'll BE just FINE!" she snapped as the worried woman escaped to the kitchen.

"Dude. That's _Sharpay._" Chad said, surprised. Troy turned around to look. Just then, the door opened again. Ryan entered silently, eyes sweeping the room, stopping briefly on the boys to nod at Chad before finally resting on his upset sister. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Shar…" he said quietly.

"Ryan, I TOLD YOU. I need to be ALONE!" she shrieked.

He backed away as she turned to the milkshake the waitress had placed before her moments ago. She sipped on it sullenly as Ryan headed over to sit with Troy and Chad. Chad immediately scooched over to make room for his friend.

"What's up with Cinderella?" he asked.

Ryan slumped forwards on the table, resting his chin on his folded arms.

"Clock struck midnight," he mumbled.

"But Chad told me you said she was having a great time at NYU. You both were, weren't you?" Troy asked, confused.

"We did. But we've been trying out for shows the whole time, going to open calls and everything. We don't have agents yet; our parents wanted school to be our main focus until we got our degrees. So last month, we went to an open call for the musical that's supposed to be the next big thing. I got a role." Chad and Troy made appreciative comments. "She didn't," Ryan finished glumly.

"Bummer," Chad said.

"And it wasn't just this show. All the directors who saw me had praise for me, but Sharpay…didn't work for them. She was too flash, too pop star. Her voice isn't a Broadway voice, you know?"

Chad put an arm over Ryan's shoulders in an instinctive attempt to alleviate some of his misery.

Troy looked up at Sharpay, who was dipping her French fries in her milkshake one by one before eating them.

"So congrats on graduating anyways," he said to Ryan, who managed a smile in return.

"Thanks. Now I've got a job, and a sister who hates me because she doesn't have one too."

"She doesn't…_need_ one, does she?" Chad asked. "Not to be rude or anything, but you guys are loaded."

"Our _parents_ are loaded," Ryan corrected. "And Shar can't be doing NOTHING. She'll go crazy! Theatre's her _life._"

Troy looked over at Sharpay again. She was almost done with her French fries.

"I'll be right back," he told Chad and Ryan as he got up.

"Hey, Sharpay," he smiled at her as he sat down next to her. "How's it goin'?"

She nearly fell out of her seat.

"TROY?" She dropped her head and looked up at him through her wispy bangs with a mixture of shock and horror.

"Um…yes?" he replied, unsure of whether or not this had been a good idea.

"AAAH!" she shrieked as she lunged at him and clung to him, arms wrapped around his neck. He paused, and was about to awkwardly hug her back when she shot away with another shriek.

"OHMYGOD I bet I look HORRIBLE!"

She bolted to the bathroom before Troy could initiate a chivalrous protest. He turned to look back at Chad and Ryan. Chad was the first to speak.

"What are you DOING?"

"Helping. Hopefully," Troy replied. Ryan just looked at him thoughtfully, and then turned to Chad.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here before she comes back and sees us."

Chad had paid the check already, since Troy was going to pay for tomorrow's dinner, so he followed Ryan out to the parking lot with a "Good luck, dude" fired at Troy for good measure.

Sharpay returned moments later, cleaned up but still not quite looking all there.

"Troy!" she squealed. "How ARE you? I haven't seen you in AGES, I…" she paused as Troy put the money for her food on the counter and offered her his hand.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, giving him a look that clearly said 'What the hell, plebe?'

"We're going," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Look, Sharpay, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but we used to be friends (she gave him a Look), kind of, and, well, you look kind of upset, no offense. And if you are, I don't think a junk food fest will help that much."

"It might."

"Talk to me?" he pleaded.

"Ugh. FINE." She stomped out, ignoring his hand. He hastily put it in his pocket and followed her.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

"Um…cab?" she offered. He looked down at her feet. The straps on her high heeled silver sandals were digging into her feet, causing the skin to become red and inflamed.

"Sharpay. Did you WALK here?" he asked, incredulously.

"So what if I did?" she shot back.

"Your house is like three miles from here!"

"_So_?"

Troy made a sound of frustration.

"Will you please let me drive you home?"

"Fine."

She followed him to his car, and stepped in gracefully as he held the passenger door open for her.

"You can pick what radio station we listen to, if you want music," he said as he started the car.

"Okay." Sharpay reached out to fiddle with the radio dial. Out of sheer habit, she put on the Broadway station.

When they hit the second traffic light, Troy looked over at her. Sharpay was staring blankly out the window as her forehead rested against the glass. Sondheim's 'Sun and Moon' started to play. It was dark outside, and beyond the lights of Albuquerque the desert stretched into the blackness of night.

Troy made up his mind and turned the car to the left.

"Hey! My house is the other way!" She turned to berate him.

"I know," he said.

"Where are we going?" she demanded.

He didn't answer. Sharpay was about to let him have it when he cut the wheel and turned down the road to Lava Springs.

"Why are we going _there_? It's _closed_!"

"I worked there, remember? I know." He stopped the car at a spot near the resort overlooking the canyon.

"What the HELL, Troy!"

"Sharpay." He turned off the engine and faced her.

"What?" she asked, quieter this time.

"What's wrong?"

She looked at her lap and started to pick at the skirt of her dress. The car was silent for a while.

"Ryan's better than I am," she muttered.

Troy waited, and when it seemed as though she didn't have anything else to say, he spoke again.

"Gimme your feet for a sec."

"Why?"

"Just…please. My feet are hurting just from _looking_ at yours."

Sharpay gave an exasperated sigh as she pulled her knees into her chest, then turned and extended her legs onto Troy's lap. Immediately he began undoing the straps around her ankles and gently removing the shoes. There was some sand between her toes. He brushed it out, and when he was sure she wasn't going to kick him, he started slowly running his thumb against the arch of her foot.

She stared at him until he looked up. He stopped.

"Why are you stopping? That feels good," she huffed as she crossed her arms and leaned her head against the seat back, closing her eyes in the process. He shook his head at her antics. A minute later, he spoke.

"Remember the summer before senior year? You tried to make it so I'd fall in love with you." She gave no reaction. "Well, that didn't really work out, did it?" She shifted her head. "Sometimes things don't go exactly as you plan them, Sharpay. You know that." Her eyes snapped open to halfheartedly glare at him.

"Ryan told you about New York," she said dully. He nodded. She closed her eyes again. More silence.

"I don't know what to do," she finally admitted. He waited. "This is my life. If I'm not on stage…I can't NOT be on stage!" She was sitting up and looking right at him, seemingly on the verge of hysteria.

"How could this happen? HOW? Ryan's better than me! Everyone wants HIM!"

She took a breath, recognizing the desperation in her voice.

"No one wants me," she finished quietly.

Troy gave her foot a gentle squeeze, mindful of the tender skin.

"Sharpay, I know theatre is important to you—"

"—DO you?—"

"—so can't you do something _not_ on stage?" She looked horrified at the thought. "Not permanently," he added hastily. "You know, do something more behind the scenes for a while, take some more time to mature as a performer, then try again." She looked a little less scandalized, so he continued. "I mean, you were so great at setting up your performances. All those special effects and costumes and lights? That was _you_, Sharpay and that took a lot of effort. I think you'd be a great director."

"Or producer." She perked up.

"Even if you started small, as a stagehand or something." She made a face.

"Gotta start somewhere, Sharpay."

"What are _you _doing with _your _life?" she asked after a minute.

"Grad school. In New York. I want to be a sportscaster, and I'm hoping to snag a good internship at ESPN or something."

"Fabulous!" she said, smiling. He grinned, thankful she wasn't so moody anymore.

"Sharpay?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you really_ that_ upset that Ryan got that part?"

"No," she sighed. "I just wish it was me. I really am proud of him though."

"You should tell him that."

"I do all the time! I—OH!" she gasped suddenly.

"AH! INSPIRATION!" She leaned forwards, towards Troy. "I'll be Ryan's AGENT!" she shrieked happily. "It's PERFECT!" She leaned back again, giggling and clapping her hands a few times.

"Thank you for the foot massage, Troy. And for talking to me, too, I guess." She withdrew her legs and folded them under her as she buckled her seatbelt. "Now take me home, please. I've got a career to plan!"

Troy grinned as he started up the car and 'You Can't Stop the Beat' from Hairspray began to play. Sharpay turned up the volume and rolled her window down, causing her hair to be blown in every direction as they sped off towards her house.

"Hey, I think I actually know this one!" Troy yelled over the music and the wind.

"Sing it then!" Sharpay yelled back.

"YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEEEEEEEEAT!" they belted together.

xoxoxoxoxo

As Troy pulled up to Sharpay's house, he saw Ryan and Chad's heads vanish from a second floor window where Ryan had apparently been awaiting his sister's return. As Troy killed the engine, the front door opened and Ryan came out. When he saw that Sharpay was in good spirits, he looked relieved. She leaped out of the car, shoes dangling from her left hand, and grabbed her brother in a hug.

"Ryan! There's no time to lose! Come on!" She dragged him into the house.

"DANFORTH! OUT!" Troy snickered as his best friend was evicted.

"Well, you certainly got her back to normal," Chad said darkly as he got into the front seat.

Suddenly the front door burst open again.

"TROOOOOOOOOY!" Sharpay ran over to the driver's side where Troy's window was rolled down.

"…yes?"

"I just realized. _You're _going to New York…and _we're _going to New York…"

"So…I'll be seeing you…there…a lot?"

"Oh, TROY, you DO care!" She kissed him on the cheek before dashing back into the house, yelling "Call me!" over her shoulder.

Chad was cracking up.

"Definitely back to normal, Bolton!" he managed to say.

Troy didn't hear him. He was too busy wondering if being in New York…with _her_…wasn't going to be such a bad idea after all…


	2. New York

A/N: I am so, SO sorry for the delay…I didn't know if I was going to continue this fic, and I'm pledging, which is eating my life.

Disclaimer: If I owned HSM, "I Don't Dance" would have cumulated in Ryan and Chad making out. They didn't, so obviously I don't.

Ryan looked around, surveying the results of unpacking everything and putting it in its new proper place.

His hats were stacked neatly in the walk-in closet, his shirts (and pants) were sorted by color, his belts hung from a rack on the door.

His Star Dazzle award shone atop his dresser, right next to a picture of him and Sharpay when they were three. Ryan was dressed as a knight, Sharpay as a princess. They were about to go Trick-or-Treating for the first time.

Ryan smiled. He liked their new Union Square apartment—it was close to the Village, and only a short subway ride from Times Square and Broadway.

Ryan paused. He could hear shouted fragments from the other room.

"…don't care what you…"

"…NO! That is unaccep…"

"…Ryan is worth SO much more than that! Better recalculate, or…"

"…ake it work, then, you…"

And finally,

"…Thank you SO much. It has been a PLEASURE doing business with you!"

Ryan resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Sharpay snapped her phone shut and strode into his room without knocking.

"Well, your contract is all hammered out, thanks to moi," she preened.

"Could you be nicer to them next time?"

"Why? It's not like _they _are nice people. They just want to suck my poor brother's talent away until he's not good for anything above late night infomercials! I will not let this happen!"

"Whoa, Shar, breathe."

She did.

Ryan was puzzled.

"Are you okay? You don't normally calm down this fast…"

"So what if I don't?"

Ryan just shook his head and started to put up a Phantom of the Opera poster.

Sharpay wasn't leaving.

"What's up?" Ryan asked.

Sharpay put her hair up in a ponytail before answering.

"I got a job," she said as she fixed her bangs in the closet mirror.

"Duh, I know that. You're my agent."

"No, not like that." She turned to face him.

"I'm working in a black box theatre."

"Really? Like, in a managerial capacity?"

"No. I'm painting sets, and learning how to work the lights."

Ryan was stunned.

"But…but you _never_ do things like that, Sharpay!"

"I know. But I need to learn this from a different perspective. Besides, it's not like they're likely to know what they need in their little production. It probably needs more _dazzle_." She accompanied the last word with jazz hands. "Which I can bring, obviously."

Ryan resembled a goldfish.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Ryan!"

He closed his mouth.

"Well, I'm…happy for you. If you're happy," he said, regaining his composure.

"Thank you. Now, I need help unpacking. Making money for you is very trying."

She flounced out of the room.

Ryan smiled as he followed.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It was late. Sharpay still had some things to unpack (if by 'some things' one meant 'Sharpay's entire spring and winter wardrobes'), but was _so _done for the night.

She had set up the entertainment system in lieu of organizing her closet, and now fully intended to enjoy her accomplishment. She _only_ had to threaten _two_ tech people on the consumer's hotline before she was finished.

She popped in The Little Mermaid and curled up on the new couch in her fuzzy pink bathrobe.

Ryan would be back later—for now, he was meeting his fellow cast members for drinks. Before he left, he and Sharpay had ordered Vietnamese takeout—neither of them had been in any sort of mood to make dinner.

Sharpay had sent him off in his least wrinkled blue shirt and his least expensive blazer ("Think of where you'll _be_, Ryan! What if some slob spills a drink on the Armani?") and well wishes.

Sharpay was secretly happy to be alone for a few hours.

She was singing along to "Kiss the Girl" when her phone started to ring. She checked the caller I.D., but didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sharpay."

"Troy?"

"What's up?"

"How did you get this number?"

"You gave it to me, remember? At that party at Lava Springs?"

Sharpay thought back to the celebratory bash her parents had thrown in honor of the twins' graduations.

"Oh. Right." She thought for a moment.

"That was weeks ago, Troy. Why are you calling me now?"

"Well, I start school in a month, but I'm flying in this weekend to move in and everything. I guess I was wondering if you and Ryan could, you know, show me around and stuff."

"Of course!" Sharpay chirped.

"Thanks. I'll call you when I've moved in, okay?"

"Need any help?"

There was a pause.

"_You_—are _offering _to help me unpack."

"Well, it would be more like _Ryan_ helping you unpack and me making productive comments."

Troy laughed.

"Okay, Sharpay, I'll call you when I get to New York."

"You do that."

"Right…so. Thanks again, I gotta go finish packing, but I'll see you soon."

"'Kay, toodles!"

"Bye."

Sharpay closed her phone thoughfully and pressed 'Play' to resume the movie.


	3. The Realization

A/N: What is this? Another update? feels forehead No, I'm okay, my schedule is just marvelously free now! I am posting the next chapter on SATURDAY, because I need to cross reference my hypotheses with what occurs in HSM3. That said, be forewarned: do NOT check the next update until you've seen the third movie. It shouldn't affect the outcome too much, but some people hate spoilers more than others 

Disclaimer: I don't own it. It owns me.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The last few days had been a whirlwind of activity for Troy. Between packing, taking leave of his parents (his mom gave him a cookbook, his dad tried not to cry), and actually _getting_ to New York, he couldn't remember if he'd called Sharpay to tell her when he was arriving.

If he'd called Sharpay…

Not that he _shouldn't_ call her, it's just…Troy couldn't remember where his thought train was going. He needed a rest, big time.

As he lay down on the bare mattress of the bed in his new cheap grad student apartment, his mind began to wander backwards.

Why had he disliked Sharpay?

Had he disliked her?

No, he hadn't. _Chad_ had for sure, but Troy couldn't remember bearing ill will towards her. He may have been _terrified_ of her at points, but that was different.

But why had he been scared of her?

Oh, right. She wanted him _bad. _And he hadn't been interested. Why had her attraction to him been a source of fear?

Had he been in _denial_?

No, surely not. He thought he was in love with Gabriella, after all—why would he have been scared of being attracted to Sharpay when he _couldn't _have been, when he had been attracted to someone else?

Gabriella sure was gorgeous, and his friends (minus Zeke) sure disliked Sharpay. Had he been intimidated by their opinions?

Had he succumbed to peer pressure _again_?

Troy was really starting to dislike his seventeen-year-old self. "Grow a backbone, Bolton!" he screamed to his younger self.

He stopped.

He _had_ liked Gabriella. Maybe he just hadn't been mature enough to realize that Sharpay was a _woman_, that she was the kind of person he'd need in life.

In the end, Gabriella had just kept pushing him to be different from what he was, what he needed. All his friends did. Singing was okay, but he'd never wanted it to be a focal point when people looked at him, something he'd TOLD them MANY times. And that whole scholarship thing? They were supposed to have been _happy_ for him, not so jealous that they wanted him to give it up to be on their same level. They brought him down.

High school sucked.

Then what about Sharpay? She wanted him to sing, she gave him all those 'ins', she wanted him and she wasn't afraid to show it.

Waaaaaaaait a second.

Sharpay wanted him because he was a basketball star and very popular, right?

But then—

She never went to the games, hell, she'd never known when they _were._ And she didn't care what anyone thought about her, so why would she date him just for the popularity elevation that she didn't want (because she thought she didn't need it)?

Was it possible that _Sharpay_ was one of the few people to like him for who he _was_, not what he represented?

Sharpay liked _him_…

So when she thought he liked singing, she encouraged him (in a somewhat forceful manner, he had to admit) and helped him get a spotlight. She was trying to…to get _close_ to him. Spend time with him.

In a somewhat unorthodox manner, of course. Sharpay did things _her_ way—

Troy grinned, then caught himself.

What the hell was _wrong_ with him?

Sure, Sharpay was…forceful. But she was hot as hell, and take-charge, and passionate…

Sweet Jesus, he HAD been in denial!

Which would explain his reaction to her breakdown in the diner a while back. He cared about her, even if it took him years to come to the realization.

Troy couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this dumb.

So he'd liked her then, but had been afraid to admit it. She wasn't sunshine like Gabriella, making everyone feel nice but never changing. She wasn't a sparkling jewel like most of his college girlfriends: dazzling and solid, but cold.

Sharpay was better.

Sharpay was a force of nature.


	4. One Jersey, Two Photos

A/N: I've had an absolutely discouraging week, so instead of doing homework I'm going to make myself feel better by posting the next chapter. Also, love HSM3 though I do, I have decided to completely disregard it—I already had most of this fic planned out in my head. So basically this fic follows canon of the first two films, and we pretend HSM3 didn't happen, capice? Well, except for the prom outfits. I'm stealing those. Don't worry, once this is done I'll work on more fully canon things.

Disclaimer: Disney hasn't admitted that Ryan is gay, so what do YOU think?

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Troy was snapped out of his world-shattering reverie by his cell phone ringing.

"Hello?" he asked without checking the caller ID.

"Are you going to let us in or what?"

"Yeah, hang on, I must've not heard the door buzzer."

"Whatever."

He shut his phone and opened the door.

Sharpay and Ryan Evans were a vision in…sweats?! Troy's brain went into overdrive. Ryan was in grey oversized sweatpants and a black yoga shirt and matching baseball cap. Sharpay's black track pants had sparkly silver stripes down the side to match the plastic jewels scattered around the neckline of her hot pink tank top. Her hair was up in a messy bun. Both siblings were wearing sneakers.

"_Hello?_ Aren't you going to invite us _in_?" Sharpay said by way of greeting.

"Um…since when are you guys _not _coordinated and dressed up to the nines?"

Ryan stepped into the small apartment and put an "it's okay, you don't know any better" hand on Troy's shoulder.

"You've obviously never moved cardboard boxes while wearing designer shirts, have you?"

"…Point taken."

"Good man."

Ryan took one disdainful look at the mountain of clothing Troy had started 'unpacking' before striding purposefully towards it and sorting everything out by color.

Sharpay was wandering through the boxes, peering at the labels to see what was what.

Troy's phone began to ring again.

"Hey, Chad!"

"How's New York?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Troy joked.

"As am I. The _city, _man, how's the _city_?"

"I wouldn't know. I just started unpacking. Sharpay and Ryan are helping me out."

"…I'm sorry, I momentarily lost my ability to hear, because there is NO way an EVANS would willingly undertake manual labor."

"Ryan!" Troy called over his shoulder.

"What?" came the shouted reply.

"Chad doesn't believe you're helping me in the form of manual labor!"

"Oh he _doesn't,_ does he?" Ryan hurried over. "May I?"

Troy laughed as Ryan took his phone into the other room and proceeded to berate Chad for his lack of faith in an Evans's ability to do anything they wanted to.

This left Troy and Sharpay alone in the living area-slash-kitchen.

"This box is unmarked," Sharpay suddenly exclaimed.

"OH! Um…we don't have to look in…."

But she already had the box open. Troy had had no idea she owned a Swiss Army knife…

"OOOOH! How CUTE!"

Troy could feel the heat creeping onto his cheeks. She had found his cheesy "High School Memories" stash. He just hoped to God Ryan would be busy on the phone with Chad for a long, looooong time. One person knowing of his dorkdom was more than enough.

"It's…really stupid, I—"

"Nonsense! I have things like this all over my apartment! My Star Dazzle awards, my programs of my musicals, my yearbook…I think I have some of my old costumes stashed away somewhere too…"

"Oh," said Troy, feeling a little less embarrassed. "Well, you can look through it, I guess…"

"Sit with me! Sit, sit!" Sharpay waved him over energetically to the kitchen table, where she had placed the open treasure trove.

"Ooooh! The Twinkle Towne playbill!"

"Yeah, my mom had me autograph it for her."

"Awwww!"

"Hey, you autograph things all the time if I remember correctly. Don't mock me," he joked.

"I wasn't! And I SO do not autograph _everything._ Do you see my signature anywhere in this tiny apartment? No? Well, then, it seems you are mistaken."

"Don't diss the apartment. It doesn't like to be made fun of."

"Ha ha. Let's continue, shall we?"

They went through newspaper clippings of Wildcat victories ("My mom," Troy said defensively), pictures of Troy and Chad on their first day of freshman year ("I don't remember Chad with short hair," Sharpay said thoughtfully), and miscellaneous memorabilia ("Do you own _anything_ that's not red and white?").

When Ryan came out of the room half an hour later, he had to remind himself to close his mouth, which was gaping open in surprise.

Sharpay was wearing Troy's old basketball jersey over her shirt.

She and Troy were laughing over pictures of senior prom.

Troy's arm was resting on the back of Sharpay's chair.

What!?!?!

"What's that?" Ryan pointed at the picture they were looking at as he walked over to the unexpected scene.

Giggling, Sharpay handed it to him. Ryan smiled as he looked at the picture of him in his classy suit and awesome hat.

Just a minute….

Was that…_Chad_ in the picture as well?

Was he doing what Ryan _thought_ he was doing?

"Bunny ears. Is he for real?" Ryan asked.

"That's not even the best one, dude," Troy said, attempting to be serious and failing miserably.

Ryan accepted the second picture and almost dropped it in shock.

He and Chad were leering suggestively at the camera, and GOOD LORD, was he really groping and being groped? Hey, since when was Chad's leg able to hike up high enough to hook around Ryan's waist?

"I…uh….what?"

"After party. Don't you remember?" Troy's composure failed him entirely and his face split into a mischievous grin.

"Obviously not," Sharpay snickered.

"I'll just…um…wow." Ryan was at a total loss. He dazedly wandered over to the pile of clothing and absent-mindedly began to sort again.

"Hey, Sharpay, I've got another box like this with my college stuff in it, wanna have a look?"

"Sure, Troy. I'll just pack up all this." She began to remove the jersey.

"Oh hey, you don't have to…I mean, you can keep that if you want. I have another one, it's okay."

"Really?"

"Sure, why not. It looks good on you."

"_Everything_ looks good on me," she corrected.

Troy grinned as he turned to sort through the boxes and locate the "College Memories" one.

Sharpay looked at the spread of items on the table. She smiled, and began to put them all back in the box. As she was putting the photos of prom back in their pouch, she noticed that two of the pictures were sticking together. Carefully, she pulled them apart. As she looked at the picture that had been hidden, her eyes widened.

There she was in her senior prom dress, pink and fabulous, without a doubt the best dressed girl at prom, smiling her heart out. She looked positively radiant.

And there was Troy, right next to her, holding the camera at arm's length to take the shot of the two of them, grinning goofily.

"Oh…" she said softly.

She remembered that moment. In all the swirl and color and madness of the dance, Troy had come up to her holding a camera.

"Picture with me?" he had shouted over the music.

"Okay!" she had shouted back.

Funny she never thought to ask for the photo. It was a good one.

Just then, Troy came back with the new box.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Hours later, Sharpay and Ryan waved goodbye to Troy.

"Call me whenever!" he said as they left.

"Well." Sharpay began as she and Ryan stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah." Ryan hailed a cab.

They clambered in and rode all the way home in silence.


	5. Weekly Ritual

A/N: Attention readers and reviewers: you rock. Here, have a cookie. I had Zeke make them for you!

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although I really, _really_ wish I could own some of the Costume Institute's clothing collection.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Troy exited the subway station and checked the address Sharpay had given him for the twelfth time. He wasn't used to the closeness of New York just yet, and he had to really pay attention to where he was going or he knew he'd get lost. His mother had suggested getting a map of Manhattan to carry around, to which Troy said, "Mom, you might as well tack a neon sign to my forehead that reads 'TOURIST! PLEASE ROB ME OR MOCK ME!'"

Troy turned down the correct street in what he hoped was the right direction. Three steps down the block he spotted the nondescript theatre and headed towards it.

He passed beneath the few trees forced to grow in the gaps of the dirty sidewalk. The leaves were brilliant orange and deep red, and they rustled when the cold November wind whistled past. Troy shoved his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket.

He checked his watch before opening the door to the theatre lobby.

"Can I help you?" a cheerful woman asked him from her seat behind the box office window.

"Uh, yeah. I'm here to meet Sharpay Evans? She's working on the sets."

"I know." She smiled at him. "Why don't you go into the theatre and have a seat? Everyone will be going home soon."

"Thank you." Troy eased open the door the woman indicated to him, trying not to disturb the rehearsal.

It took him a minute to locate Sharpay. He was so used to seeing her in a lead role or bossing people around, so it came as a bit of a shock to find her quietly working on something on the edge of the stage area. He sat down to wait for her.

Sharpay was painting something, completely oblivious to the action being rehearsed to her left. Her hair was pulled out of her face by a bun atop her head. A black bandana around her forehead restrained her bangs. Her oversized goldenrod shirt was rolled up past her elbows, its collar and breast pocket smudged with white paint. Troy wondered for a millisecond why on Earth she was wearing denim cutoffs until he remembered how hot the stage lights could get.

Pausing in her work to grab something behind her, Sharpay put the thin paintbrush she'd been working with between her teeth. Her hands lifted to reveal a staple gun and a pair of scissors. She did something with them Troy couldn't see, and then took the brush out of her mouth to continue painting.

Troy watched, fascinated. He didn't recall Sharpay looking so down-to-earth _ever_.

Ten minutes later, the stage lights shut off. Troy made his way to the stage area, passing a group of people waiting for other cast members.

"Miss me?" he grinned.

Sharpay poked his nose with the paintbrush, leaving a white blob on the end of it. She giggled.

"Hey!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby. It's only paint." She picked up a rag and removed the offending splotch. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Ten million years," Troy answered seriously.

"Funny."

"I try."

"Sorry I asked you to meet me here. It's almost opening night, and I needed to finish up some sets, and—"

"You mean, you didn't tell them they _had_ to wait because you had a _very_ important weekly dinner with your amazing friend to get to?" Troy pretended to be aghast.

"Surprisingly, personal rendez-vous aren't that important to managerial staff."

"Don't I know it!"

"Ha. Now wait here so I can get my stuff and put on something that won't let me turn into a human icicle."

"Aye aye, cap'n!" Troy mock saluted as Sharpay rolled her eyes and headed backstage.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Once outside, Troy turned to Sharpay.

"Where to today?"

"One of the lighting guys recommended a French place around the corner."

"Cool, lead the way."

They began to walk.

"Ryan's coming today," Sharpay said.

"Nice, haven't seen him around, where's he been?"

"Rehearsing ten days a week."

"Hardcore."

"You're not the one who gets woken up at 3 AM when he stumbles in."

"Ouch." Troy winced in sympathy.

"We're here!" Sharpay proclaimed.

"Wow, when you said 'around the corner' you really meant it."

Sharpay grinned. "C'mon, I was told they have great ratatouille here."

Troy stepped ahead to hold the door open for Sharpay.

"Thank you," she said as she breezed past him. "Oooh, Ryan's already here!"

Ryan waved at them cheerily from a corner table.

"I was just on the phone with Chad," he informed Troy as the two friends approached. "He says he'll call you later."

"Thanks! How've you been, Ryan, I think I last saw you in September?"

"Ha ha. You saw me two weeks ago. How was it today, Shar?"

"Great! I finished up all the posters, _and _managed to sneak some glitter onto the set piece in the third act." Troy and Ryan laughed.

"May I take your order?" A waitress materialized out of nowhere to serve them.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

After dinner, Ryan immediately headed back to the Evans apartment to catch up on some well-deserved sleep, but Sharpay was restless.

"I've been squatting _all day._ I _have _to stretch my legs!"

"Wanna go for a walk?" Troy asked.

"Sure!"

They strolled up the street, shoulders hunched against the cold. Troy turned slightly to see Sharpay smiling at something.

"What's up?"

"How did we get here?" she asked.

"Well, we left the restaurant, took about twenty steps, and—"

"No, I mean _here_. As _friends._"

"Ohhhhh." He paused. "You're nice to me and I like spending time with you."

"And why wouldn't you?" They both laughed.

"Hey Troy, are you doing anything this weekend?"

"After I finish a paper, I'm free."

"Well finish it before Sunday, because I want to go to the Met with you."

"Is that the famous art museum you keep trying to drag me to?"

"_Yes._ Why can't you just come with me already?"

"Art really isn't my forte."

"C'mon, just once? It will be interesting, I swear!"

"Ryan warned me about the Costume Institute."

Sharpay sighed. "He _would._ I solemnly swear that I will not spend longer than forty—"

"—_twenty_—"

"—fine, _twenty_ minutes there."

"Deal."

"Yay!"


	6. Sir Sharpay

A/N: Yay French grammar! And you can Google the stuff I talk about here if you want to see it. Also, this chapter is completely organic, in that it wasn't in my original plan for this story, it just kind of happened and it was supposed to be very short. It isn't.

Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, or Chad's ego.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Troy leaned back a bit to stare at the columns of the Met towering above him.

"Troy!" Sharpay called from half a block away.

Troy kept staring, oblivious to everything.

"Earth. To. Troy?!" Sharpay said as she approached.

"Huh? Oh! Hi, Sharpay!"

"C'mon, let's go in."

They started to climb the stairs to the entrance.

"Lotta steps," Troy remarked.

"Don't complain. _You're_ not in heels."

"I wasn't complaining, I was making an observation," he teased.

They reached the top of the stairs and walked into the museum. Immediately, Sharpay grabbed Troy's arm and wrenched him out of the way of a mob of tourists in matching t-shirts that had almost trampled him.

"Tourists," Sharpay muttered contemptuously.

"What's wrong with tourists?"

Sharpay glared. "You'll understand when you've lived here longer. They interrupt New York's _flow_."

"What are you talking about?" But Sharpay didn't answer; she was too busy paying for their passes.

"Here, put this on," she said, handing him something that, to Troy, resembled a Barbie-sized frying pan.

Troy's confusion was very apparent.

"Here," she sighed as she grabbed the collar of his shirt. Troy froze at the contact. Sharpay put the circular end of the token, 'M' side up, on the outside of the neckline and folded the narrow end over to the inside of the shirt, securing the Met's proof of payment marker. Her hands lingered, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles on Troy's shoulders. Suddenly, she pulled away to secure her own token, ducking her head slightly.

"So, why don't they just use stickers like everywhere else?" Troy asked.

"Because this isn't 'everywhere else', Troy, this is the _Metropolitan Museum of Art_. Shall we?"

"Lead the way, mon capitaine!"

"It's 'ma'."

"What is?"

"Never mind."

Sharpay led Troy to the right. A few steps later, they were surrounded by Egyptian paraphernalia.

"Wait, why aren't we stopping to look?" Troy asked as he followed Sharpay, who was walking briskly with a sense of purpose.

"This museum is massive. We can't possibly see it all in one day; I'm just taking you to my _favorite_ parts today."

"Ok, so, what's first?"

"This," Sharpay stopped as they stepped into a huge, bright room. Troy calculated it to be about the size of the East High gym, if not bigger. One wall was entirely composed of windows. In the center of the room, there stood an ancient Egyptian building.

"Wow."

"I know, right?" Sharpay grinned. "We can go inside, too!"

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Awesome, let's go!"

Sharpay giggled as Troy took her hand and dragged her over to the structure.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxox

Two hours later, Sharpay and Troy were standing in front of a tall painting of a statuesque woman on the second floor.

"I don't get it," Troy said. "What's so special about this painting?"

"Madame X?"

"She's too pale."

"Possibly because she was a real person who used lavender powder to maintain her famous complexion and color."

"_What _color?"

"In the time period this was painted in, pale skin was highly attractive."

"So why's this so special again?"

"It's fascinating because of the _story _behind it." She moved closer to the painting. "Do you notice anything strange about the dress she's wearing?"

Troy looked at the painting.

"It looks…off, I guess. But I can't figure out why."

Sharpay smiled. "The right dress strap didn't used to be painted on her shoulder. It was painted to have fallen _off_ the shoulder—that's why the dress looks weird. The painting was too scandalous for the tight-waisted public, and the artist had to paint over the offending strap and repaint it onto her shoulder where it 'belonged'."

"Ohh, I get it now. Yeah! Look, the painting is a slightly different color where it was repainted!"

Troy looked very proud of himself. Sharpay suppressed a giggle.

"Instruments now!" she chirped.

Troy suppressed a groan. Art wasn't really his thing, and looking at a bunch of instruments sounded…really boring, actually. The Egyptian stuff had been cool, even though Sharpay had spent _twenty minutes_ at the jewelry display cases, and the paintings and sculptures weren't that bad, but still. His attention span was starting to seriously wander.

He followed Sharpay into a dimly lit gallery ("Light damages old things," Sharpay had patiently explained earlier) filled with crazy-looking stringed instruments that resembled giant guitar necks with no base. Troy braced himself for the inevitable snoozefest.

"Almost there!" Sharpay flashed him a grin over her shoulder. She opened a door to a well lit area. "Look down!" she said as he caught up to her.

Troy stopped. His eyes shone as his face split into a huge smile.

"We're going down there now," Sharpay said.

"But…but you said—"

"Oh, please. I'm not _that _mean."

She laughed. "You should have seen your face when I told you we were going to the instrument section! I wish I had a camera!"

"Yeah, yeah." Troy pretended to be cross, but his excitement was too obvious. "So can we go now?"

"This way!" Sharpay led him back downstairs and into the room they had seen from the second floor.

Troy practically skipped into the space filled with suits of armor, swords, and banners.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

At closing time, Sharpay had to forcibly remove Troy from the medieval section.

"We can come back, right?" He flashed puppy dog eyes at her as she pulled him down the stairs leading to the street.

"_Yes, _Troy. But next time, I'm going into the Costume Institute while you're obsessing and being six again. I like inlaid swords as much as the next girl, but _that _was _overkill._"

"So, next week then?" Troy joked as Sharpay stuck her arm out for a cab.

"Oh, I thought you'd like to go to see the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum instead," she lightly replied.

"…dinosaurs?"

"You are _such_ a boy."

Sharpay stepped into the cab.

"Get in, it's cold outside!"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

That night, Troy called Chad.

"_Guess what I did today!"_

"Uh…judging from your tone of voice? I have no idea. It's not basketball season yet, and I think I'd know if you came to visit me, so I honestly can't think of anything else that would make you this gleeful."

"…you are SO full of yourself."

Chad laughed. "It's part of my charm."

"Dude, I went to the Met!"

"The museum?" Chad sounded skeptical.

"Yes. Wait, how do you know that?"

"It's the _Met_. I'm related to my _mother._ Do the math."

"Ah."

"Yep."

"Yeah, so, Sharpay took me, and—"

"—you looked at clothes and paintings all day?"

"See, that's what I thought too, but she didn't even go near the Costume Institute! Well, we did look at some paintings and stuff—" (Troy paused for Chad's snicker) "—but we didn't just _look_ at them, Sharpay knew all this history about them and why they were made the way they were."

"I'm waiting for the part where I understand why you're so thrilled by this."

"She let me loose in the suits of armor."

"DUDE."

"I KNOW!"

"And she didn't complain when you were there for six million years?"

"Nope. She said something about actually liking suits of armor and swords because it was a form of fashionable function or something. Oh, and that she and Ryan used to play knights and princesses and they took turns being the knight."

Chad laughed for a whole minute at that.

"I—am _never_—letting Ryan live down being a princess, _ever_," he finally managed to say.

"I'm so blessed to have someone so considerate, loving, and kind as my best friend."

"Damn straight!"

"Play nice, Chad."

"I always do!"

"Uh-huh."

"You suck."

Troy snickered.

"Oh, hey. Ryan's on the other line, d'you think you mind if I…?" Chad trailed off.

"Sure. Go, abandon me in favor of your new best friend," Troy said melodramatically.

"Shut up. He is not my new best friend. He's…" Chad paused, uncertain.

"…he's what?"

"…I don't know, actually."

"Well, when you figure it out, let me know," Troy said earnestly.

"Thanks, man." Chad sounded relieved.

"Anytime."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A/N: To (mis)quote my mei mei: "OH, EVERYBODY KNOWS!" Even Troy, Chadders. Even Troy "What Just Happened to My LIFE?" Bolton.

Christmas chapter next!


	7. On the Brink

A/N: Ohmygod. I am so sorry for the delay, but my life has been absolute hell. Anywhoo, here's a little piece of Christmas cheer for everyone! (While I'm apologizing, let's add one for my usage of EVERY FREAKING CLICHÉ IN THE BOOK in this chapter. Leave me alone, you know you love the clichés.)Happy holidays, no matter what you celebrate!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sharpay Evans, Troy Bolton, or the song I ripped the lyrics from. However, I now have the Disney Channel Holiday CD on my itunes and am thoroughly enjoying the fantastically cookie cutter Christmassy crackfest that it is.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sharpay and Troy stood at the edge of the ice rink at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan watching the skaters twirl (or fall!) beneath the lights of the famous Christmas tree. Golden figures lounged above the rink. Metallic flags stirred slightly from the movement of the city; there was no icy winter wind to speak of, for which Troy was grateful. He loved skiing, sure, but was not thrilled with the prospect of _months_ of the weather conditions associated with that particular sport.

"Isn't this _fabulous_?" Sharpay breathed.

"Isn't what fabulous?" Troy smiled as he looked at the beautiful girl next to him.

"_This_," she said, gesturing about her to the lights and the people surrounding them. "It's like we're in a winter fairy tale. Or something. Only _better_ because it's _real_."

"You don't believe that fairy tales can be real?" Troy asked.

"I forget I'm talking to Mr. Prince Charming himself." Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"All I heard from _anyone_ in high school was 'Troy and Gabriella this!' or 'Troy and Gabriella that!' Freaking perfect couple, you two were. It was absolutely _sickening_."

"Why does everyone keep bringing that up? God, it was _so long ago_. Get over it!"

"What, I'm just supposed to _ignore_—"

"_Yes._"

"That is SO unhealthy."

"More unhealthy than trying to _steal someone's boyfriend_?" Troy looked pointedly at Sharpay.

"Oh, I'm _so sorry_ I thought you were _worth fighting for_!"

"How could you fight for me if you never _had_ me?"

She didn't reply. The hurt on her face was clear enough, even to Troy.

"Oh, God, Sharpay…I didn't—"

"Yes you did."

She turned to walk away. Troy reached out and grabbed her shoulder, wheeling her around to face him. He firmly gripped both her arms to prevent her from running away mid-sentence.

"Sharpay. We weren't together in high school because I was stupid. I was a stupid, insecure teenager who didn't see what was good for him. Look, I don't regret my relationship with Gabriella. It helped me realize what I actually wanted in a girlfriend. As it turns out, it wasn't her."

Sharpay looked up at him. He didn't loosen his grip.

"And as I've told many, many people, I've had other girlfriends too. And every time I'm with a different girl I get a better sense of who I am and what I need."

"And what do you need?"

Troy answered her with a kiss.

The city moved around them. Ice skaters glided, shoppers bustled, tourists got in the way, lights twinkled, ice sparkled, taxis honked, music echoed, buses started and stopped, cars crawled, commuters cursed, cops patrolled and millions of people chattered in dozens of languages, but for Sharpay Evans and Troy Bolton, the world was at a standstill.

They paused, foreheads pressed together against the freezing temperatures. Their eyes remained closed as their breath rose in tiny clouds.

"I don't want a lot for Christmas…"

Sharpay's eyes snapped open. Troy was…singing?!

"…there is just one thing I need…"

Their arms were still wrapped around each other.

"…I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree…"

Sharpay had momentarily lost her powers of speech. _Oh God. _

"…I just want you for my own…"

Troy leaned in close again until his mouth was next to her ear.

"…more than you could ever know…" he whispered. "Make my wish come true?"

He pulled away far enough to look her in the eye.

"All I want for Christmas…is you." He finished singing, looking expectant. People were starting to stare.

Sharpay's expression was unreadable. Troy started to internally panic. What if he just ruined his chances AND friendship?

"You are _such _a dork!" she grinned as she leaned in to kiss him again.

"You love it." He grinned right back before kissing her.

"You know it."

"I guess I do, now." Troy's smile refused to leave his face. _Best. Christmas. EVER._


	8. Start of Something New

A/N: PSYCHE!!!!!!! (ahem. Thank you, Season3!Cyborg.) But seriously. Come on. You _know_ that's not what would have happened. Also: So what if they have a ballroom? Wouldn't _you_ if you had that much money?

Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or Ashley Tisdale's amazing extensions, but I seem to have cultivated an unhealthy obsession for writing Chad. He's just so much fun!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Troy woke up from his Christmas/Rockefeller Center/Hallmark Card Moment dream grinning like an idiot.

After about a second, however, his smile was replaced with a look of utter confusion, swiftly followed by one of exasperated realization.

"Oh, you've GOT to be kidding me!" he yelled at nothing in particular. Reflexively, he picked up his cell phone from the floor next to his bed and hit speed dial number '1'.

After a few rings, Chad picked up.

"Death, Bolton. Death by slow torture involving guppies, lollipops, and reruns of The Andy Griffin Show for waking me up at SIX IN THE MORNING on a SATURDAY. This had BETTER be good."

"I think I'm in love with Sharpay."

"No shit, Sherlock. You woke me up for _that_? The torture now officially includes the original Broadway recording of Phantom of the Opera."

Troy explained his dream to Chad.

"And then I woke up," he finished, sounding miserable.

"You are such a girl. I can't believe you dream-sang." Chad's amusement was ill-disguised.

"Thank you so much for your support in my time of need," Troy deadpanned.

"What are friends for?"

"Chad."

"Sorry. But seriously. It's no secret you're head over heels for her. I mean, come on. You go out with her every week—"

"—as _friends_," Troy interjected defensively. "And sometimes Ryan's there too!"

"Whatever. You go hang out with her all the time—"

"—as FRIENDS!"

"Dude, you _pick her up from work_ at LEAST twice a week!"

"I just want to make sure she gets home safely!"

"And are you conveniently forgetting that you _gave _her one of your jerseys?! You never even let anyone _touch_ those things unless it's your mom and she's washing them for you."

"But…but…"

"TROY. You are dating this woman in every aspect except the physical one! Wake the hell up and smell the Starbucks, there must be at least two within a minute's walk from you!"

Troy sighed in defeat. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right! So, what are you going to do now, Romeo?"

"I have no idea," Troy admitted, dazed.

xoxoxoxoxo

"Troy's been acting weird lately," Sharpay said suddenly.

Ryan turned to look at his sister in surprise. She'd been unusually silent during their whole day of casting calls and it was starting to weird him out.

"How so?"

She grinned mischievously. "I think he's finally figured out that he's in love with me."

"It's about freaking time!"

"I know, right?"

"So, what are you going to do?"

"You'll see." She smirked and pulled out her BlackBerry. Sharpay pressed a few buttons and held the device to her ear.

"Mother?" she said. "About that New Year's party…"

xoxoxoxoxoxo

It was good to be home. Troy had missed the warm weather year 'round. Coming to New Mexico's arid temperatures from New York's icy winds was a glorious change. _God bless the holiday season and parents who want to spend it with their kids_, he thought as he walked through the kitchen.

"Troy, darling," his mother said as she closed the refrigerator door. "There's an envelope addressed to you on the table."

"Thanks, Mom." Troy picked it up, smiling. There was only one family he knew who'd use embossed stationery.

Just then, the back door slammed open and Troy was attacked by a blur of red topped off with wiry curls.

"HOOPS!" Chad shouted in Troy's ear.

"OW! That was my EAR!"

"My bad," Chad apologized as he released Troy from the Chad Danforth Bear Hug of Doom ™.

"It's okay." Troy's face went blank. Before Chad knew what was happening, he was getting tickle attacked à la Troy.

"NO FAIR!" he shouted through his laughter.

"BOYS!" Mrs. Bolton's voice caused them both to cease play-fighting. "No roughhousing in the kitchen!"

"Makes you feel five again, doesn't it?" Chad turned to Troy as he spoke. "Oh hey," he said as his eyes caught on the unopened letter. "You got one of those too, huh?"

"What? Define 'those', O Interrupter of Letter Opening."

"It's an invite," Chad said matter-of-factly to Troy as he tore open the fancy envelope.

"So I see. Hmmm…'cordially invited'…'Evans family'…'New Years'…'black tie'—Black tie? Crap. Do I even own anything nice enough for this?"

"If I can fake it, so can you," Chad replied. "Shar and Ryan won't be expecting too much from us, I don't think."

"…_Shar_?"

Chad grinned. "Habit I picked up from Ryan. Don't worry; I don't call her that to her face. Not after last time," he finished in a mock shudder.

Troy looked at Chad with an unreadable expression. "You are unbelievable," he finally said.

Chad merely grinned in reply.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The Evans mansion looked spectacular. It seemed as though every surface was gilded or scattered with crystals. The entire residence looked like an ice palace; there was even an ice sculpture of a swan in the punch bowl. White Christmas lights dangled from the ceiling and graced each doorway and window. The effect was dazzling. Troy and Chad had to remember to stop staring and find their hosts.

"TROOOOOY!!!" Sharpay cut a noticeable path through the small groups of guests chatting warmly in the ballroom as she headed towards the two friends.

"Hey Shar!" Chad snickered as he easily evaded a smack to his head.

"Watch it, Danforth," Sharpay said, not without humor.

"Hi!" Troy greeted her eloquently.

"Hi yourself! So glad you could come. The refreshments are here, there and everywhere. Ah! Mother!" She waved Mrs. Evans over enthusiastically.

"Mom, you remember Troy Bolton," Sharpay said.

"Of course I do, princess. How nice to see you, Troy."

"Lovely party, Mrs. Evans," Troy said as he shook her hand, throwing in a slight awkward bow for good measure.

"Why, thank you, Troy. And hello to you too, Mr. Danforth."

"Mrs. Evans." Chad gave a somewhat more graceful and dramatic bow than Troy to accompany his acknowledgement.

"Mommy, the band won't play any Gershwin!" Ryan suddenly appeared in the midst of their group.

"Well, we can't have that, Ducky. I'll fetch your father. If you'll all excuse me?" She smiled warmly at all of them as she turned and went to look for her husband.

"I forgot how nice your mom is," Troy commented as she left.

"She's the best," the twins agreed in unison.

"Oh, no. Zombie twin mind melding! Run while you can, Troy!" Chad grabbed his arm in mock terror.

Sharpay rolled her eyes before giving Ryan a Look. He responded with an amused shrug.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It was about eleven o'clock and Troy had forgotten how much champagne Chad had consumed. He wasn't drunk…just definitely inebriated.

"Hey Troy," he said a little louder than usual.

"What's up?"

"I like Ryan."

"I know."

"No, no no no no no." He leaned in closer to Troy. "I…_like_ him." He slowly wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"I knew it!" Troy looked amusedly at Chad's confused face.

"Really?"

"Well, suspected it. That's cool, man. Whatever makes you happy."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"So…so I have a plan." Chad gave a loopy smile as he bobbed backwards and forwards again.

"What is it, dude?"

"I'm going to seduce Ryan Evans. It'll be _awesome_."

"Do tell," a voice said drily behind Chad.

"Hi Ryan," Troy bit back a laugh.

"Oh," was all Chad said at first. He was as frozen as the swan ice sculpture until Ryan spoke.

"…So?" Ryan paused, looking like he was trying desperately not to smile. "If this is you being seductive, you suck at it."

Chad looked directly at him in shock. "Was that a challenge?" he said, reasserting himself.

"Why, yes, I do believe it was," Ryan mildly replied.

"Would you excuse me, Troy?" Chad said, not taking his eyes from Ryan's.

"Take your time, man." Troy finally let loose his laugh as Chad dragged Ryan in the direction of the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Sharpay asked as she came up next to him.

"Just two people finally getting on the same page," Troy said, turning towards the literal girl of his dreams.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It was five to midnight. Troy had not seen Chad or Ryan since their confrontation, but in all honesty had no intention of seeking out either of them. His brain did not require mental scarring to _that_ degree, thank you very much.

"It's the last dance of the year, ladies and gentlemen!" the bandleader called out to the crowd. "Enjoy!"

Troy turned around to find Sharpay finishing up a conversation with a stately looking elderly woman. As Sharpay took her leave of the acquaintance, Troy stepped forward smartly in his tuxedo. He extended his hand as he said, "May I have this dance?"

"Of course, monsieur," Sharpay said, smiling as she took his hand. A chord of violins suddenly struck up, shortly accompanied by the other soft sounding instruments in the band. A waltz filled the room.

"Awesome. Something I actually know the steps to," Troy said as he and Sharpay glided across the floor.

"You dance quite well, Troy," Sharpay said after a minute.

"Actually, I _waltz_ quite well. Other kinds of dance? Not so much. There's a reason I never really danced much in the musicals…and let's just say Chad's sworn to secrecy about what may or may not have happened when I discovered hip hop music videos."

Sharpay laughed. She and Troy rotated lazily in the center of the ballroom.

"Thirty seconds!" the bandleader announced. The dancers stopped and looked expectantly at the countdown clock the Evans family had rented for the occasion.

"Twenty!" The guests began to count down in unison. Sharpay's hand was still firmly held in Troy's.

"Ten!" A very rumpled looking Chad and Ryan eased into the room surreptitiously, looking like they'd both won the lottery and ten trips to Hawaii.

"Nine!" Mrs. Evans leaned against her husband as he rested his head on hers.

"Eight!" The band members stood up eagerly.

"Seven!" A drop of water fell from the beak of the ice swan into the punch.

"Six!" Troy gripped Sharpay's hand tighter.

"Five!" Chad and Ryan turned to each other and grinned.

"Four!" Troy felt Sharpay move.

"Three!" He turned to find her facing him.

"Two!" _Just tell her_, he thought. _Just say it…_

"One!" Sharpay's face split in the sexiest grin Troy had ever seen.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Sharpay swiftly leaned in and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He responded automatically, pulling her close. Champagne was pouring profusely and shiny confetti was falling everywhere. Noisemakers (party favors for the guests) were being used at an alarming decibel level. Over in the corner, Ryan had dipped Chad before kissing in the New Year with him. But Troy didn't notice any of this until Mr. Evans tapped him on the shoulder.

"A-HEM," he said in an imposing manner.

"Uh…hi, Mr. Evans?" Troy cracked a bashful grin at the father of the girl he'd just been passionately kissing.

"Daddy, you remember Troy!" she chirped. Troy momentarily forgot the awkward situation he was in. Sharpay was positively radiant. Some confetti was still falling; lots of it was stuck in her hair. The tiara she was wearing caught the light and made it dance about her. Every time she moved, light sparkled. She was beautiful.

Troy snapped out of it when Mr. Evans said his name for the second time. "Oh, sorry, sir…I mean…"

"It's all right, Troy." Mr. Evans said. "Sharpay, could you excuse us for a moment?"

"Yes, Daddy!" She sashayed off in the direction of her brother, looking distinctly pleased with herself.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I just…"

"You're in love with her. There's nothing to be ashamed of." Mr. Evans smiled kindly.

"That obvious, huh?" Troy looked bashful again. Mr. Evans tried not to laugh. Troy was trying so hard. Mr. Evans was glad such a man had fallen for his daughter.

"She's one-of-a-kind, our Sharpay," Mr. Evans looked fondly after his daughter as his wife came to join them.

"She's very special," she added.

Troy visibly straightened up. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans," he began. "If nothing else in this world, I know that your daughter is one of the best things to ever happen to me."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Mrs. Evans said, gesturing with her champagne flute. "Go to her!"

Mr. Evans gave a nod in blessing. Troy took off at once, waving at the amused couple over his shoulder.

"Sharpay!" he called as he approached her, Ryan and Chad.

She turned only to have him kiss her and lead her to the dance floor for the first dance of the New Year.

"Wow." Chad looked at them curiously. "Didn't think he'd actually do something about it tonight."

"Oh, we thought he wouldn't. That's why Sharpay took things into her own hands," Ryan said, smirking.

"You _bastard_!" Chad joked, turning to his new lover. "You _planned_ this! And she planned _that_!"

"Yep. Aren't you glad?"

"Oh, you have no idea. If I had to listen to him going on and on about her again…But seriously. I'm happy for them."

"And how do you feel about us?" Ryan looked intently into Chad's eyes.

"You KNOW how I feel about _us,_" Chad said, eyebrows wagging once more.

Ryan grinned before leaning in to kiss his man again.


	9. V' is Very Very Extraordinary

A/N: It's short. It's sweet. It's to the point. Happy Valentine's/Single's Awareness Day!

Disclaimer: Honestly, MUST we go through this again?

xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Troy showed up to Sharpay's door at six o'clock in the evening on Valentine's Day bearing a dozen pink roses and wearing his best suit. She opened the door after the second ring dressed in his Wildcat jersey and a pair of jeans.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Troy hid his confusion at her apparent forgetfulness.

"Thank you!" she squealed as she accepted the flowers.

"Um…Sharpay?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought you said you were picking the place for us to go for Valentine's Day?"

"I did!"

"But…why are you dressed like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh…I guess I thought you'd pick someplace romantic and fancy for today…" Troy trailed off, looking sheepish.

Sharpay, on the other hand, looked like she was about to burst from hiding something.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Troy!" she squealed as she thrust a pair of courtside Knicks tickets in his face.

It took Troy a minute to process this.

"Are these _behind the bench?_" he asked incredulously.

"Yup!"

"But…I mean…this is…WOW." He sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"I know."

He looked up at her with a dazed expression. "These are for tonight's game!"

"I _know,_ genius. Now let's get a move on before we miss tipoff!"

He stared at her blankly at her easy usage of the term.

"What? I asked Danforth for a crash course in basketball."

"You are officially the best girlfriend _ever_."

He was expecting a typical Sharpay 'I know' response to his statement. What he received was a kiss.

"Let's _go!"_ she said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the door.


	10. Epilogue

A/N: I feel horrible for not updating in ages and then posting a finale, but honestly I've had massive writer's block when it comes to this story. Luckily, my fabulous mei mei pointed out that I could just end it and free myself up to write tons of oneshots pertaining to it. I quite like this idea, as it allows me more freedom as a writer and less worry about chronology. So, fear not, Troypay and Chyan shippers! More will come…just not under this title.

Disclaimer: If I owned HSM, I would have been the student in HSM3 who accidentally-on-purpose pushed Tiara Gold off the stage. Oh wait. That didn't happen. Damn.

This chapter is dedicated to Rini!

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Troy paced nervously around his old room.

"Dude, you're making me dizzy!" Chad said as he sat on the bed.

"My dad already said to go for it. Relax," said Ryan from his spot next to Chad.

"I can't!" Troy exclaimed. "I—I want everything to be perfect! What if something goes wrong? What if she--aaaargh!" Ryan rolled his eyes as Chad got up and grabbed Troy by the shoulders.

"Get a grip, Bolton," he said sternly. "Don't freak out. You can do this." Troy visibly relaxed as he took a breath.

"Ok," he said. "Showtime."

Chad and Ryan grinned at him.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It was Christmas again in Albuquerque. Everyone was home for the holidays. Troy pulled up to the Evans mansion blinded by the fantastic light display. Sharpay's little dog Boi bounded up to him, tail wagging furiously. Troy knelt down to scratch Boi behind the ears as the doors to the mansion opened. Sharpay stepped out wearing a pale pink dress and a thousand watt smile. Troy grinned sheepishly back.

"Ooh, silly Boi. He's not supposed to be out this late, are you Boi?" she cooed as she picked up her dog and cradled him close. "I'm just going to put him inside, okay?"

"Sure!" said Troy a little too loudly. Sharpay gave him a puzzled look before turning and brining Boi back inside. Troy took another deep breath while her back was turned, but when she looked at him again he was the picture of innocence.

"Shall we?" he asked nonchalantly as he offered his arm. Sharpay laughed pleasantly as she took it.

"I have no idea where we're going, Troy. You just said you had something special planned." She looked up at him expectantly.

"Hmm, do I?" Troy put on a mock thoughtful expression. She poked him in the ribs, causing him to jump.

"So, where are we going?" she inquired as he started up the car.

"You'll see."

"Ok, mystery man."

They drove in silence—Troy nervous, Sharpay curious. Finally Troy turned down the road to Lava Springs. Sharpay turned to look at him with a question on her lips, but the intense look on his face kept her silent. Troy pulled over near the edge of the canyon as he had the night Sharpay came back into his life. He exited the car and opened Sharpay's door for her, offering his hand to her. She descended gracefully onto the sand.

"My shoes aren't exactly made for this," she joked as she removed them and put them in the car. Troy waited until she shut the door before taking her hand again. A thrill raced through him as her fingers laced with his.

"This way," he said, guiding her away from the car. He approached a gathering of boulders that marked the start of Lava Springs property. Suddenly he turned to his girlfriend.

"Close your eyes," he said.

She complied, heart fluttering. Whatever was happening was exciting, that was for sure.

He led her between the rocks, taking care to avoid obstacles for her bare feet.

"Take a look," he murmured in her ear.

Sharpay opened her eyes and gasped.

The boulders had been masking a ring of white Christmas lights suspended from ceiling-height poles around a roll-out dance floor. A string quartet on the outskirts of the circle struck up a pretty tune as she took in the moonlit scene. Sharpay turned to Troy to see him biting back a grin.

"But…what…" she began.

"Care to dance?" he asked.

She practically dragged him onto the floor.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he teased.

They slowly waltzed around the floor. Sand from the surrounding desert was scattered under Sharpay's toes. She gazed up into Troy's eyes and smiled.

Before she could say anything, the tune changed. Sharpay could recognize it…but where was it from?

Troy answered her by singing quietly.

"…so this is love…so this is what makes life divine…"

Sharpay could have been knocked over with a feather. Troy was singing to her from Disney's _Cinderella_. She giggled. _My boyfriend is SUCH a dork._

"What's wrong?" he asked. Sharpay could tell from his tone that he was blushing. _But he's an ADORABLE one._

"Nothing, loverboy. Keep singing!" She moved closer to him as he complied.

As the song ended and the music struck up a new vaguely familiar tune, Troy stepped away from Sharpay. He took both her hands in his.

"Sharpay," he began.

"Troy, are you all right? Your hands are shaking."

"I'm fine. I—"

He paused to take a breath.

"I love you so much, Sharpay. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're more important to me that anything, and I…" He trailed off, staring at her. The moonlight was illuminating her and the strings of lights were reflected in her eyes, making them look like the sky was contained within them. To him, she looked like a goddess.

"Troy?" she asked with a confused expression.

"You are so beautiful."

She froze, breathless. His words were so sincere and full of awe that she could do nothing else.

After a beat, she stepped towards him again and needlessly smoothed out the lapels of his jacket. He raised his hands to still hers.

"I want to be with you, Sharpay. I want to protect you and support you and encourage your glitter-filled ideas. I never want to stop getting dragged to museums by you and explaining sports events to you while you nod and wonder why the players are wearing such unfashionable outfits and applauding for you at every performance you're in or have worked on. I want to be the person you turn to when you feel like your world is breaking and all you want to do is cry until it hurts. I want to karaoke obnoxiously with you in public places and make up silly corresponding choreography and laugh when people stare at us. I want to grow old with you and still be doing all this. I want to face this world with you…my beautiful princess."

Troy smiled sheepishly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. He knelt down on one knee in front of her.

"Even if you say no, I'll be happy knowing I had one last dance with you."

He opened the box to reveal a brilliant diamond ring.

"But just in case…will you marry me?"

Sharpay finally recognized the song, and the last line flowed through her head as she absorbed what Troy was saying. _I'll be the greatest fan of your life…_

"Yes," she whispered.

"What?" he asked to make certain his mind wasn't deluding him.

"YES!" she shrieked happily as she threw her arms around him and held him tightly.

Abruptly, she shoved him away.

"You IDIOT!"

"What?! What did I do!?"

"This must have cost a FORTUNE! I can't believe it!"

"You're worth it."

"You don't need a fancy setup and a talented set of musicians playing soppy love songs to impress me!"

"Helped though, didn't it?" he grinned.

"Well, yes, but that's not the point." She pouted.

Troy sighed.

"Let me put that ring on you, okay? You're making me nervous," he joked.

"If you insist." She grinned and stuck out her left hand. Troy put the engagement ring on her third finger and stood up.

"I am now officially the luckiest man alive," he said, grinning back.

"You got that right," she said before standing to kiss him. "Now come on. I have to show my mom!"

Troy waved at the quartet in thanks as he followed his fiancé.

"I love you," Sharpay said before entering the car.

Troy laughed and pointed at her ring. "I know."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

To be continued under new titles!


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